Extracting information from surface coatings

Abstract

A method and system for extracting information from a surface coated with a coating containing quantum dots are disclosed. In embodiments, the method comprises charging the quantum dots in the surface coating, scanning the surface to retrieve information from the quantum dots, and processing the retrieved information to identify data encoded in the quantum dots. In embodiments of the invention, the processing includes filtering the retrieved information to adjust the received information based on defined effects of the coating. In embodiments of the invention, the filtering includes filtering the retrieved information to account for chromatic deviation due to the color of the coated surface. In embodiments of the invention, the quantum dots include a plurality of different types of quantum dots, and the processing the retrieved information includes processing the retrieved information to distinguish between the information retrieved from the different types of quantum dots.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of extracting information from a surface coated with a coating containing quantum dots, the method comprising:
 scanning the surface coating, using a first light, to obtain a set of colors of the surface coating; 
 charging, using a second light, the quantum dots in the surface coating, wherein the quantum dots emit light in one or more colors, and the surface coating filters the one or more colors of light emitted by the quantum dots; 
 scanning the surface to obtain a quantum dot scan giving the filtered colors of the quantum dots; and 
 correcting for the filtering by the surface coating on the colors of the light emitted by the quantum dots by reverse filtering by applying the set of colors of the surface coating over the quantum dots scan to obtain corrected quantum dot colors; and 
 processing the corrected quantum dot colors to identify data encoded in the quantum dots. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 after the charging, the quantum dots emit light at a multitude of wavelengths; and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes determining an intensity of the light emitted by the quantum dots at each of the multitude of wavelengths. 
 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the processing the corrected quantum dot colors further includes determining a ratio of the intensities of the light emitted by the quantum dots at each of the multitude of wavelengths. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the quantum dots include a plurality of different types of quantum dots; and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes processing the corrected quantum dot colors to distinguish between the different types of quantum dots. 
 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the quantum dots include a plurality of specified types of quantum dots; 
 each of the plurality of types of quantum dots is mixed in the coating in an associated relative amount; and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes processing the corrected quantum dot colors to determine the relative amount of each of the plurality of types of quantum dots mixed in the coating. 
 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the scanning the surface coating, using a first light, includes scanning the surface coating while the surface coating is illuminated with the first light to obtain the set of colors of the surface coating. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the scanning the surface coating to obtain a quantum dot scan includes scanning the surface while the surface is illuminated with the second light to obtain the quantum dot scan. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the coating is a paint comprised of a base of white and one or more color pigments; and 
 the method further comprises forming the coating by mixing the one or more of the pigments in the base, and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes determining the colors of the one or more pigments from the processed corrected quantum dot colors. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the forming the coating includes providing each of the pigments with a specified amount and type of quantum dots representing the color of the pigment; and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes determining the colors of the one or more pigments from the determined number of the quantum dots. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 information is embedded in the quantum dots in the form of a multi-color code having multiple color values; and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes determining the multiple color values of the multi-color code embedded in the quantum dots. 
 
     
     
       11. A system for extracting information from a surface coated with a coating containing quantum dots, the system comprising:
 a first light source for illuminating the surface with a first light, and a second light source for charging, using a second light, the quantum dots in the surface coating to emit light, wherein the quantum dots emit light in one or more colors, and the surface coating filters the one or more colors of light emitted by the quantum dots; 
 a scanner for scanning the surface coating, using the first light, to obtain a set of colors of the surface coating, and for scanning the surface to obtain a quantum dot scan giving the filtered colors of the quantum dots; and 
 a processing unit for correcting for the filtering by the surface coating on the colors the light emitted by of the quantum dots by reverse filtering by applying the set of colors of the surface coating over the quantum dots scan to obtain corrected quantum dot colors, and for processing the corrected quantum dot colors to identify data encoded in the quantum dots. 
 
     
     
       12. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 After the charging, the quantum dots emit light at a multitude of wavelengths; and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes determining an intensity of the light emitted by the quantum dots at each of the multitude of wavelengths. 
 
     
     
       13. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors further includes determining a ratio of the intensities of the light emitted by the quantum dots at each of the multitude of wavelengths. 
 
     
     
       14. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the quantum dots include a plurality of different types of quantum dots; and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes processing the corrected quantum dot colors to distinguish between the different types of quantum dots. 
 
     
     
       15. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the quantum dots include a plurality of specified types of quantum dots; 
 each of the plurality of types of quantum dots is mixed in the coating in an associated relative amount; and 
 the processing the corrected quantum dot colors includes processing the corrected quantum dot colors to determine the relative amount of each of the plurality of types of quantum dots mixed in the coating. 
 
     
     
       16. A method of determining information from a surface coated with a coating containing quantum dots, the method comprising:
 illuminating the surface coating with a first light; 
 scanning the surface coating, while the surface coating is illuminated with the first light, to obtain a set of colors of the surface coating; 
 illuminating a predetermined light spectrum on the coated surface of an area of a predetermined size, wherein quantum dots in the coated surface are excited to luminesce and emit light in one or more colors, and the surface coating filters the one or more colors of the light emitted by the quantum dots; 
 scanning the coated surface to obtain a quantum dot scan giving the filtered colors of the quantum dots; 
 correcting for the filtering by the surface coating on the colors of the light emitted by the quantum dots by reverse filtering by applying the set of colors of the surface coating over the quantum dots scan to obtain corrected quantum dot colors; 
 determining from the corrected quantum dot colors a number of the quantum dots in said area of the coated surface; and 
 determining encoded information from said determined number of the quantum dots in said area of the coated surface. 
 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the applying the set of colors of the surface coating over the quantum dots scan includes applying the set of colors of the surface coating over the quantum dots scan to counter effects of the coated surface on the light emitted by the quantum dots. 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the determining encoded information includes:
 comparing the determined number of the quantum dots to a set of predefined data cubes, wherein an index of the data cubes is determined by a color label tagged on each of the data cubes. 
 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 18 , wherein data stored within the data cubes are accessed by a color of the quantum dots, then by a hue of the quantum dots, and then by a count of the quantum dots. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 the quantum dots include a plurality of specified types of quantum dots; 
 each of the plurality of types of quantum dots is mixed in the coating in an associated relative amount; and 
 the determining from the corrected quantum dot colors a number of the quantum dots in said area of the coated surface includes processing the corrected quantum dot colors to determine the relative amount of each of the plurality of types of quantum dots mixed in the coating.